Small Museum Association

2009 Annual Conference Call for Papers

 

 

The Small Museum Association (SMA) is planning its 25th Annual Conference in
Ocean City, Maryland, February 22-24, 2009. Every year, this conference
brings together more than 250 museum professionals from a wide range of
institutions, primarily from the Mid-Atlantic region-although our member and
attendee base has been steadily expanding. The conference aims to improve
professionalism within the community of small museums by providing a unique
and comfortable environment for individuals and institutions with diverse
experiences to meet and learn from each other. Conference sessions typically
provide practical, relevant discussions, and examples for small museums and
institutions with limited budgets. 

 

This year, the theme of the Annual Conference will be a celebration of the
25th Anniversary of the Small Museum Association.  As we honor 25 years of
small museums working together throughout the conference, sessions will
continue to focus on the use of technology in a small museum setting.
Sessions will be arranged in five broad areas, including
marketing/development, curatorial, education, museum boards, and volunteers
so attendees can concentrate on the area that most suits the needs of their
own work and that of their museum. New technologies, particularly those
introduced over the last quarter century have changed the way many museums
operate. Technology, however your museum is currently using it, can open up
a great many opportunities, from improving the efficiency of your gift shop
to updating your collections records to managing the business that is your
museum. The SMA wants to provide those associated with small museums
(volunteers, board members, interns, or staff) with the tools needed to use
technology to make their institutions even better and more relevant than
they already are. 

 

We invite proposals for sessions based on original research. Proposal topics
should in some way touch on the use of technology in all facets of museum
work, but especially in the five broad categories mentioned above
(marketing/development, curatorial, education, museum boards, and
volunteers). Possible session topics include: 

 

. Planning and implementing a fundraising event

. Writing exciting exhibit labels

. Working with your community

. Starting up education programs

. Managing and working with interns

. Developing a well-run board of directors

. Ethics in museum programming

 

There will be sessions all day on Monday, February 23, and on the morning of
Tuesday, February 24, 2009. 

 

Individuals from the museum/historic preservation field and related
supporting communities who would like to present at this dynamic and
friendly conference are invited to submit proposals to the address below by
July 15, 2008; you will be notified by August 29, 2008.

 

Session Proposal Application

 

 

Your Name: _________________________________________________________________

Job Title:
____________________________________________________________________

Institution/Organization/Company:
____________________________________________

Your Address: ______________________________________________________________

Your Phone Number: ________________________________________________________

Your Cell Phone Number: ____________________________________________________

Your Email Address: ________________________________________________________

 

Preferred Session Date: Mon. (Feb. 23) _____ Tues. (Feb. 24) ____
Either: _____ 

Preferred Session Length (select one): 60 min. _____         90 min. _____

 

Title of Proposed Session:

 

 

Description of Proposed Session: 

            

 

 

 

 

SEND QUESTIONS OR COMPLETED FORMS TO:

 

John Pentangelo

 SMA Speaker Coordinator

[log in to unmask]

USS Constellation Museum

410-539-1797, ext. 446

 


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